Carwrecks, Breakdowns, and Love
by CelineTheMagnanimous
Summary: ADA Casey Novak is known as a strong and independant woman. But what happens when her world seems to be crumbling down around her? What secret is she hiding fom the squad, and will someone save her before she falls from grace?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note- This is set during Paternity. My first fanfic! I am not to happy about it, because usually I write WAY better, but I am very tired. So read, review, and definitely critique! It's a Casey/Fin.

_Disclaimer:_

_I own a basset hound named Melvin, but not any of these characters._

**Manhattan Special Victims Unit**

**Friday, November 15**

"What do you want to do?" Elliot tiredly asked. He hated that Jake Keegan had to suffer for what his wife Leah did. It wasn't fair, Jake was tricked. _"Dammit the laws are so fucked up," _he thought angrily_._

"Cut him lose." Casey replied. As much as she didn't enjoy it, they ran out of options. She sighed at the expression of defeat on Elliot's face. He looked tired, frustrated and stressed. "_Kathy must be unbearable with pregnancy hormones," _she mused. She personally hated the manipulative bitchy blonde, but a **pregnant** manipulative bitch was not something she would wish on her worst enemy.

She watched as Elliot turned and walked into the interrogation room. Casey sighed yet again and walked back out to the squad room. There were so many things on her mind already, and disappointing everyone by having to let Keegan go was just the bitter icing on the cake. She'd been pushing her negative thoughts away since the case first began, but as she walked away from the one-way glass, her thoughts consumed her.

Fin looked up from his desk as Casey walked in. He had just finished up some paperwork from another case when he heard the familiar sound of the ADA's heels heading in his direction. He took in her distant expression and could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

"I take it that something went down with Keegan," Fin said. He noticed that Casey hadn't even heard him as she sat down in Munch's chair. He watched as she leaned back and twirled a lock of hair around her finger. She looked lost in her thoughts so he tried to snap the strawberry blonde out of it.

"Casey," Fin asked with concern, "Are you ok?" He didn't get a response at all from her green eyes so he tried again. "Earth to Novak! Casey! CASEY!" he said, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

"What?" replied the startled ADA, "Oh- sorry Fin. I was just thinking about the case. It seems to be close to home with Elliot and I am a little worried about him. Has he said anything to you guys?"

"No, well not me anyway, but maybe to Olivia." Fin said, choosing his next words carefully, "But you seem to be having a rough time too. Anything you wanna talk about?" He watched as she struggled for words so he tried a different approach. "Is something about the case upsetting you? Did Keegan say something?"

He watched as tears formed in her eyes and vowed to beat the crap out of the pretty-boy. " I'll kick his ass! What did he say? I'll drive all the way to his house myself!" he said angrily. After searching through his papers for a moment he found the address. "The bastard's ass is mine!" He moved to get up but Casey intervened.

"Wait, no Fin it's not him! He didn't do anything, I swear. Its just-ugh!" Casey sighed, "I've been under some pressure lately, I disappointed you guys because we had to let him go, Olivia hasn't really talked to me lately, Tommy looks like Jim, and this case is kinda close to me…." The now crying ADA trailed off.

"Hey, what's with the tears," Fin replied. He moved around the desks to offer Casey a hand up. "Come on, lets head up to the cribs. You can tell me what's up without worrying about someone overhearing. Okay?"

"I'm so sorry- I interrupted you working-" she cried.

"Casey its ok." Fin said as he put an arm around her waist. He led her toward the stairs as she kept crying. He stopped at the bottom and looked down at her face which was now buried in his shirt.

"And I got my stupid emotions all over John's paperwork-" She mumbled sadly.

"I'm sure Munch will forgive you. I'll even volunteer to re-do the work if its too blurred." Fin said, trying to soothe the crying woman. He just couldn't figure out what was too terrible for her to talk to any of them about. That she felt she had to hide it until it broke her.

Casey lifted her head to look at his shirt, which was now smeared with makeup and damp from her tears. "You're shirt," she exclaimed through shudders when she pulled away, "Now I ruined-you're-you're-new shirt! The one-that-you-got-shipped from L.A. b-by your cousin! You were excited about it for five d-days!"

Fin looked around and thanked his lucky stars that there wasn't anyone in the squad room right now. Casey had gone from sad to a total wreck in two minutes flat. He had never seen her so devastated before. "Casey, I'm not worried about the shirt right now. Besides, all it needs is some Shout spray and a good wash or two. Now come on, the cribs are right up the stairs." Fin said as he put his arm around her waist.

Casey leaned on Fin as they walked up the stairs together. She was still sobbing, and knew that Fin was probably questioning her sanity at the moment. She was relieved when she heard Fin say that they made it to the top of the stairs. That meant that the quiet and solitude of the cribs were just beyond the door.

"Ok baby girl, here we are," Fin said quietly. He opened the door and guided her to a bunk in the back of the room. She was still sobbing into his chest, so he didn't mind when she ended up sitting in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her when she shifted and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He soothed her like he did when his son was a young boy. Rocking her slowly while making shushing sounds seemed to do the trick. When she went completely quiet he felt her breathing shift. Looking down he smiled sadly at the sight before him. Casey had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder and her left hand in his right. He slowly disentangled himself from her and laid her down on the bunk.

He went down stairs, grabbed his jacket and came back up. He laid it over Casey and watched as she snuggled into it. His heart broke over the thought that something, or in this case, somethings, had caused such a beautifully strong person like Casey to fall so hard. He decided to sleep on the bottom bunk across from hers. That way he would be there when she was ready to open up. As soon as his head it the pillow, he felt sleep beginning to take over. Fin sighed as he closed his eyes and rolled over to face the sleeping ADA. This was going to be a long case.

**TBC? **So tell me what you guys think? Good enough to continue? Terrible and bland? Room for improvement? PLEASE REVIEW! I know that this pairing isn't as popular as E/O, but give me a chance!

Mariska Hargitay to you,

CelineTheMagnanimous


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note- Thank you to the handful of people who reviewed! I really appreciated your compliments. I would also like to thank those who subscribed/favorited this story! But, like always, review review review! I really need your opinions, requests, and suggestions to have the motivation to continue. This is my first public fanfic, so I am nervous! So here you go, chapter two! (And this has a lot of Olivia-friendship in it)

_Disclaimer:_

_I own a t-shirt designed by Mariska Hargitay, but not any of the characters._

**Manhattan Special Victims Unit**

**Saturday, November 16**

The first thing that Casey was aware of when she awoke was the feeling of warmth. She immediately opened her eyes confusedly and sat up. "_Why am I sleeping in the cribs," _she wondered. It was then that she realized that the source of the warmth was the jacket that had fallen into her lap. Upon closer inspection, she recognized the familiar scent and deduced that Fin must have given it to her the night before. All of a sudden the events of the previous night came rushing back to her, and she noticed the detective in question sleeping soundly on a nearby bunk.

She smiled sleepily and stretched her back before swinging her legs off of the side of the bed. Yawning, she stood up and looked around. They were the only two in the crib, thankfully. She didn't want to have to explain to Cragen why she was still here, let alone make up an excuse on Fin's behalf. She picked up Fin's jacket and quietly walked over to his bunk. She returned the favor and laid it over him, smoothing out the wrinkles as she at down. She watched him for a moment. His face looked peaceful and void of the stress that came with such a brutal job. She then took off her heels ad stood up again. _"I need my briefcase if I want to catch up on paperwork," _she thought to herself, _"Hopefully I can make it there and back before Fin wakes up." _ She slipped out the room as quietly as she could and went downstairs.

She looked around and noticed that the only person there was Olivia. _"Thanks goodness. I could really use my best friend right now." _Casey said, relieved that se didn't run into Cragen, Munch or Elliot. She really wasn't up to being interrogatedright now, which would e the first thing that her well trained co-workers would do. Olivia sensed that she was being watched and turned around to see a slightly disheveled Casey Novak walking towards her. Being an experienced detective, she took in the makeup streaks, yesterday's clothing, and the fact that the ADA came from the cribs in the eight seconds that it took for her best friend walk over and sit on the edge of her desk.

"You look worse for wear," she commented, "What's up?" Olivia gave Casey a small reassuring smile. She had never seen her friend look so lost before, and she wanted answers.

"Good morning to you too," Casey replied, "Way to compliment a girl, huh Liv?" The strawberry blonde hoped that her voice came off as playful, instead of the pathetic excuse for vocal cords she had the previous night.

"No really Case. I don't think I have ever seen you this upset. Not since……" the detective's voice trailed off. Her eyes widened as she looked up at her best friend. They hadn't mentioned Jim in years, and this case had been particularly stressful. Then it al clicked. The tears, sleeping in the cribs, and was that Fin's cologne?

"Not since Jim you mean?" Casey said quietly. She hadn't thought about him in years, and the only person she had ever opened up to about the ordeal was Olivia. She sighed, now she was dragging two friends into her own problems.

"Exactly. Look Case, I know we haven't seen much of each other lately, but did something happen?" Olivia hoped to God that she didn't miss the anniversary. Her mind instantly went on fast forward and realized why Casey was upset. "Oh my God Case, I'm so sorry I forgot! You know, with this case and all? And then Elliot being attached to Tommy……" she rambled quickly.

"I know," the ADA said, "Everyone as been so caught up that I haven't had time to hang out after hours with you or the rest of the squad. And then I had three court appearances along with the upcoming anniversary, so I haven't really gotten much sleep either-" Casey said in a hurry. But the tears that sprang into her eyes told Olivia that she needed to step up to the plate and lend a hand.

"Shh, Casey it'll be ok," the detective soothed, "How about I make you a deal. You go to the bathroom and get cleaned up. I have some spare clothes in my locker if you want to shower and change. I'm gonna go buy some breakfast and be back in thirty minutes, okay? Then we can solve whatever's on your mind together." The detective put on her best friendly smile and stood up to hug the clearly troubled woman. Thankfully the hug was returned before she finally pulled away.

"Thanks Liv," Casey replied, "But I should really go to the office. I never got a chance to get my briefcase and purse, and I need to catch up on work."

Olivia thought for a moment before saying, "You stay here and feel better. If you really feel that you need to work, than man my desk AFTER you take a shower. Let me deal with Donnelly." Suddenly she was engulfed in a hug from her friend.

"Thank you," Casey whispered, "I really appreciate it Liv. I owe you one." The ADA pulled away and managed a small smile. But to Olivia, it was huge progress from the frown that was there only seven minutes before.

Fifteen minutes after leaving the precinct, Olivia found herself outside of Casey's office. She pulled out the key that Casey had given her years ago, when they became friends. She was surprised to find the door unlocked, and put a firm hand on her gun when she entered the room. She flicked on the light switch and saw that nobody was there. She guessed that Bill, the janitor, has assumed that the ADA would be returning to her office to do some late-night paperwork. She knew that Casey found it easier to work in the peace and silence of an empty building, rather than in the usual daytime hustle and bustle.

She spotted the familiar black briefcase on the corner of the desk. After five minutes she had all the correct files in the briefcase, located Casey's purse, and left a note on her friends desk. "Okay," Olivia said to herself, "Briefcase with the files, check. Purse, check. Note, check." As she recited the mental list that she had created, she exited the office and locked it. "Now all I need to do is find Judge……Donnelly." Olivia trailed off as she turned around and was face to face with the woman in question. And the woman in question didn't look too happy.

"I assume that Ms. Novak won't be at the meeting scheduled in an hour then?" said the judge in a slightly icy tone. "Because she had booked it two months in advance, and it is extremely crucial for her to be there. Its all she's been talking about for the past three days." She sighed, it would really be disappointing for her favorite pupil to give up such a rare opportunity. But the slightly anxious face of the detective did nothing to alleviate her fears. So she decided to just continue on in hope of getting some much-needed answers. Olivia had started walking towards the elevator and motioned for her to follow. "Three hours after she had left to head over to the 1-6, I realized that she never came back. I tried calling her cellphone, but it always went to voicemail. So I figured there were some complications with Keegan. I waited until around eight o' clock and tried again. She still didn't answer." By that time she was speaking quickly and seemed to be ready to scream.

Donnelly took a moment to breathe and realized that they had already arrived to Olivia's state-issued sedan. While she had been rambling, Olivia had been listening patiently and was paying close attention to the judge's facial expressions and tone of voice. The detective had also noted the way her Honor had been wringing her hands. It was then that Olivia realized what was going on, and the truth hit her like a ton of bricks. Donnelly wasn't really frustrated with Casey, she was worried about her. She snapped back to reality to find an almost hysterical judge looking at her intently, as if the fate of mankind depended on her answer to a question she hadn't heard.

"I'm sorry," Liv said slightly nervous, "I didn't catch that last question." She looked at the emotions evident in the judge's eyes and saw something she had never seen before. Fear.

"I asked," said the DA in a trembling voice, "If something happened to Casey last night. She never came back……and you are collecting some personal items….. Was she- I mean did she- is she ok?" The older woman seemed near to tears and Olivia's heart broke. Se knew that the judge was vey fond of Casey, kind of like a mother-daughter relationship. She realized that the woman must have thought that Casey had been attacked again. So she had to think fast in order to stop another breakdown from occurring.

"Well," she said choosing her next words carefully, "In the physical sense of the word, yes. Casey is fine. But emotionally she is a wreck. She never came back from the precinct because she ended up sleeping in the cribs." Olivia watch a sliver of relief pass over the blonde woman's face and thanked god that she hadn't screwed up her answer.

"I knew that the case seemed to be stressing her out a bit, but didn't realize that it would affect her this much. Did I push her too hard? Does she want some time off? I mean, she's had a bigger caseload because her co-worker, Ms. Dillulo, has been out sick…." The judge rambled quickly. She hoped that she hadn't pushed Casey over the edge and silently vowed to help fix the situation.

"No, no! It's not like that at all Liz! Okay, part of it was the workload, but there are a lot of other factors. She's been tired lately and having trouble sleeping. And we haven't had time to hang out and relax after work because of this particular case. The fact that we let Jake Keegan go yesterday didn't help either. And-" the detective stopped abruptly. She wasn't sure if anyone else knew about Jim. But Liz and Casey are close…..

"And," said Liz, finishing her sentence, "Jim's anniversary is coming up. I should have realized what it would do to her. I'm so sorry that I didn't stop this from happening Olivia. But I want to make it up to her. Give me all of the extra case files and notes from the other four cases she is still working on. I have plenty of free time this weekend to do them, and I can cancel her meeting for her. I know the other party fairly well, so it can always be re-booked." Olivia was rewarded with a smile from the judge and readily accepted the offer. Papers were exchanged and Liz seemed relieved that nothing worse had happened to her favorite ADA.

"Make sure she is taken care of okay? I might give her a call tomorrow after I finish up some of the work. And tell her that she can have time off if she needs it." said the older woman.

"Absolutely, I will. Casey is always too busy taking care of others to take care of herself. I think that it's about time that she got to relax." Replied the detective. She was glad that Donnelly knew about Jim, it made explaining the situation a whole lot easier.

"I am so sorry that she worried you though. She had a meltdown at about seven, probably went to bed around seven thirty, and came down from the cribs at around six. She didn't have her phone on her because it was in her office. Thanks for helping out with the paperwork, I'm sure that Casey will be delighted to know that she had less to worry about." By the end of her mini speech, Olivia was smiling at a now determined-looking Liz. She got into her car and said goodbye before backing out of the parking lot and merging into the morning New York traffic. Now all she had to do was buy some breakfast for Casey and herself. _"On second thought, I should get something for Fin too," _she mused. If her initial hunch was right, as they usually are, then the reason that Casey smelled of cologne was because Fin was the one to comfort her the night previous. She burst into a huge smile at the thought. _"I always thought they would make a cute couple."_

**TBC. **Okay, so I have decided to add splashes of the rest of the squad instead of making the whole thing just about Casey and Fin. What do you guys think? If you guys would rather I not, then message me! I have an alternate plot that I could use! So, who's Jim? And will Casey and Fin actually get together? Stay tuned! And like always, CRITIQUE and review!!!

Mariska Hargitay to you,

Celine the Magnanimous


	3. Chapter 3

Dear readers,

It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that this story is being put on hold. I find that in light of recent events, my motivation for writing has almost ceased completely. On the morning of July 30, 2009 my grandmother had a severe stroke and died. It was instant, painless, and sudden. I have been out of state until this afternoon (August 9). Maybe I shall have to post this message for all of my stories. Maybe not. But as to this one, I simply cannot find any patience in my soul for it. Please understand that I am going through a difficult time. Thank you for all of your favorites, subscriptions, and reviews.

I would also like to encourage you to write what YOU want to happen next and send it to me! I shall either post your work directly as the last chapter(s) or it will inspire me to continue. Thank you all for your understanding.

-CelineTheMagnanimous


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